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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27148148">A Day With You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadamBiscuit/pseuds/MadamBiscuit'>MadamBiscuit</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Ball</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, ZamChro, ZamaNoa, ZamasuxChronoa, ZamasuxSupremeKaiofTime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:10:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27148148</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadamBiscuit/pseuds/MadamBiscuit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Chronoa was finally able to convince Zamasu to go on a date with her in the mortal realm.  Naturally, the goddess is excited and Zamasu had forgotten entirely.  Will Chronoa be able to get Zamasu to crack a smile and enjoy himself, or will it have all been a waste?  Maybe he just isn't that interested in her after all . . . (Zamasu x Chronoa)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zamasu/Chronoa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Day With You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic was written as a request for @auraisbad on Twitter.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chronoa hummed as she slipped from the bed.  It was dark, with only a small bit of light filtering in where the curtains didn’t quite touch.  It was early and usually Chronoa slept in until Zamasu finally dragged her out of bed, but today she was up before him, earlier than even <em>he</em> typically woke up, and her heart was pounding with excitement!</p><p>She had finally been able to get Zamasu to agree to have a date with her!  A day for just the two of them on a planet far away from here so no one knew who they were!  She’d been looking through so many magazines and fliers that Trunks and other patrollers brought her from their travels.  There were so many things they could do!  Parks, gardens, places with lots of fish or animals!  And then shopping for all kinds of amazing things she may have never seen before!  And food!  What kind of amazing foods did the mortals have?  Trunks always spoke about various dishes he liked, but she had never heard of such dishes before!</p><p>“Za- ma- suuuuu!”  She sang the god’s name as she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead to wake him up.  He looked so cute with his hair all messy and his lips slightly parted.  It would annoy him if she told him so, though.</p><p>“Hnnn-nnn?  Wha-?”  Zamasu rubbed at his eyes and glanced around for a moment, but flinched and put up his arms to cover his face when the goddess suddenly yanked the curtains open to let the bright, morning sun in.  “W-what is wrong with you!?  Have you no sense at all!?”</p><p>“Aww, come on!  I told you last night we’d have to wake up early, didn’t I?”  Chronoa was still wearing her underwear and Zamasu’s over-sized shirt from the night before as she sat on top of him to pry his arms away, “Don’t tell me you forgot . . .”</p><p>“. . .”  Zamasu allowed her to pull his arms away from his face so he could look at her, his eyes still barely open, “Forgot what?”</p><p>“Zamasu.”  Chronoa whined his name as she shoved his arms down against his own chest, “You agreed to have a date with me today.  A day for just us!  I’ve really been looking forward to this . . .”</p><p>She looked visibly upset and it made the god purse his lips.  Had he actually agreed to something like that?  He did somewhat recall her mentioning going somewhere . . . “Perhaps I was not fully aware of what you were talking about when I agreed to it.”  That only upset her further, though, and she truly looked on the verge of tears, “But it is fine.  If I told you we will go, then we will go.”  He didn’t want to go out to a place that would surely have mortals, but he also didn’t want to make her cry.  When did he become so soft?  Well . . . he was only soft for her, but somehow that was even more irritating.</p><p>“You’re an idiot, Zamasu.”  She still looked upset, but at least smiled a tiny bit.</p><p>“Yes.  I am quite the fool for going along with your wishes, aren’t I?” Zamasu sat up with a sigh and pulled her against his chest for a hug.  He was still shirtless since he was in bed and it always felt strange to hold her when not fully clothed, but . . . that would certainly grow easier with time, wouldn’t it?  “Weaponizing your tears against me is quite cruel.”  He muttered the words against her hair.</p><p>“Hm?  What’s that?”  Chronoa happily wrapped her arms around him as well, her hands wandering over the broad muscles and soft skin with great admiration.  Why didn’t he go shirtless more often?  He had a wonderful physique. </p><p>“Nothing.  I’m merely lamenting my own weaknesses . . . are you wearing my shirt?”</p><p>“Stop being so doom and gloom.  And yes, I am!”  She reluctantly pulled away and held onto his shoulders while looking into his sleepy eyes, “Let’s get ready, okay?  We’re going to have so much fun!  I picked a planet I knew you’d be a little familiar with!  It’s one you’ve been to before!”  She grinned and got up from his lap to go to the floor-length mirror in the room and try on various outfits using her power.</p><p>“I have . . . been to all of them, if we want to get technical.  I killed every mortal on every-“</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know.  But trust me!  You’re suuuuuper familiar with this one!”</p><p>“. . . is it Earth?”  Zamasu’s question had a very flat tone as he pulled the sheets away and climbed from the bed.  Quickly realizing he was stark naked, he lifted a hand to use his power and quickly put at least some pants on. </p><p>“Ding ding ding!  How did you guess?”  Chronoa grinned at him as she cycled through a few different dresses, shorts, pants, blouses, etc. </p><p>“Was it Trunks who convinced you to choose such a place?  You know I hate him far more than I hate the others.  If you’d just let me squeeze his neck and watch the life drain from his pathetic eyes-“</p><p>“Zamasu!  Hush!  He’s one of my closest friends!  I’m not letting you kill him.”  She finally stopped on a sleeveless white dress with a sunflower pattern.  “I don’t know why you hate him.  You won the fight in <em>your</em> timeline, so give<em> this</em> Trunks a break.”  Chronoa turned a few times, inspecting her appearance, “What do you think?  Am I cute?”</p><p>“. . . the dress suits you.”  Zamasu furrowed his brows a bit.  The bright colors and the large flowers really did suit someone as vibrant as her.  Chronoa was beautiful and cheerful at all times.  He was a bit bothered that her legs were exposed below the knee and her arms weren’t covered at all, though.  Wasn’t that too much?  Even the top of her chest was out for all to see!</p><p>“Okay, but am I <em>cute</em>?  I want to hear you say it!  You never say it.”  She slowly approached her lover and draped her arms over his bare shoulders.  “Can’t you say it just once?  I’m the only one who would hear you.”</p><p>“. . . you are . . . always cute.”  Zamasu hesitantly slipped his arms around her waist and leaned down to gently kiss her forehead, his cheeks and ears turning a dark shade of scarlet.  “Whenever I say things like that, you always look at me with such bewilderment in your eyes.  I don’t know how to feel about that sort of reaction.”</p><p>“Th-that’s because you rarely say those kinds of things . . . it makes it special when you do.”  It was difficult to see against her pink skin, but a light blush dusted her cheeks as she buried her face against his chest for a moment.  It was uncommon for Zamasu to say something sweet, but it always made her face hot and her heart race when he did.  “I’m very excited to spend so much time with you today.”  She finally unhid her face and looked up at him again, “I made sure to get ahead on allllll of my work so I’d be totally free!”</p><p>“Hmmm . . . I wonder if that is true or if you are actually dodging some of your work.  That would be more in-character for you.”  He couldn’t help but let the smallest of smiles grace his lips as he was now the one to pull away from her.  “I suppose if we are trying to be discreet, my usual attire won’t suffice.”</p><p>“Nope!  But it’s okay!  I’ve got a great outfit in mind for you!  I got lots of ideas from the magazines I was looking through.  Someone with your physique and your coloring would look good in . . .”  With a  wave of her hand, she changed his clothes.  He was dressed in all black – black pants, black belt, black dress shirt, black shoes.  The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to his elbows and the first several buttons were undone at the top, exposing the top of his chest.</p><p>“. . . black <em>is</em> a color I prefer to wear, however . . .”  He looked down at his own chest, “Why is it not buttoned up all the way?  And why are the sleeves rolled?  While you’re content to gallivant around with your skin showing, I’d rather not.”</p><p>“Oh come on.  You’ll look ridiculous if it’s buttoned all the way!  This is fashion!  Fashion!”  Chronoa rested her hands on his arms once more and slid them down to his wrists, “Besides . . . maybe I like it when you show a little more skin, oh supreme god Zamasu.”  She narrowed her eyes a bit as her lips curled up into a smirk.  She knew she could always rile him up with that.</p><p>“. . . you’re being a nuisance.”  Zamasu shook his head and huffed, but he left the clothes just as they were.  They felt strange and restrictive, but at least he was mostly covered and the color wasn’t awful.  And Chronoa’s outfit . . . her dress . . . she looked quite lovely in it.  He couldn’t bring himself to tell her so, though.</p><p>“Don’t say mean things to me on our day!  I hope you’ll have at least a little fun.”  She looked dejected for a moment, but quickly smiled instead, “I think I’ll make it my goal to get you to smile!  And I don’t just mean a little smirk or smiling because you saw a mortal hurt themselves or something . . . I mean a full, genuine, wholesome smile!”  Pulling her hands away she placed them on her hips with determination before going to grab a purse one of the patrollers had gifted her a while back.</p><p>“I don’t know if I’m capable of such a thing, but you’re welcome to try.”  Few things interested him and few things made him legitimately happy.</p><p>. . . <em>she</em> made him happy; but again, he could never say such a sappy, pathetic thing.</p><p>“Don’t we need the currency of Earth if we’re going to eat and whatnot?” </p><p>“I already thought about that!  I had a few of the patrollers sell off some old junk I had lying around and they brought back loads of the currency for the area we’ll be visiting!  Trust me, Zamasu, I’ve already thought of everything.  I wanted this to be perfect.”  Her voice grew quieter at the end and she smiled softly at him as she clutched the strap of the purse.</p><p>“I know for a fact that I’m going to be absolutely miserable no matter what.”  The god rubbed at his forehead before approaching Chronoa and pulling her into his chest so he could rest his chin atop her head, “If any of those lecherous mortals look at you inappropriately, I’m going to kill them.”</p><p>“Zamasu!  No killing!” </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>They made sure to arrive on Earth in a discreet location just outside the city.  “Perfect!  No one saw us!  I want to make sure we don’t draw too much attention to ourselves.”</p><p>“We are going to draw quite a lot of attention no matter what.  The people of Earth do not look like us.  We are green and pink with long ears – we’ll have eyes on us at all times.”  The very thought made his skin crawl and he would give just about anything to return to the Time Nest.  He could already sense the weak ki of all the mortals.  “This planet is absolutely crawling with them . . .”</p><p>“You talk about them as if they’re bugs.”  Chronoa stared at him, waiting for a response, but Zamasu simply gave her a blank stare in return.  “You’re awful.”  Shaking her head, Chronoa hooked her arm into his and led him into the city.</p><p>They started off simple enough – breakfast at a small café close to where they’d entered the city.  Plenty of people were staring and whispering, but they were all at least smart enough (or perhaps terrified enough) to leave them alone.  Eating while surrounded by mortals and their noisy chatter was far from ideal, but Zamasu did his best not to say anything.  He’d never hear of the end of it if he ruined Chronoa’s day.</p><p>Naturally, though, neither of them knew where they were going once they finished eating.  Chronoa apparently had some sort of plan in mind for what she wanted to do and, Zamasu assumed, she knew which city to go to for all of these things, but . . .where?  “I will let you lead the way, since you have this all planned out.”</p><p>“Oh, uh . . . well, I really wanted to check out this thing called an aquarium!  It apparently has a bunch of tanks of water filled with all manner of aquatic creatures and plants.  The pictures looked beautiful and it would be cool to see creatures that exist only here on Earth!”  She grimaced, “But . . . I don’t know where it is.  I know it is in this city, but that’s all.  It listed an address, but I’m not sure how to go about finding it.”</p><p>Zamasu sighed softly, but stopped himself from scolding her for not thinking that far ahead.  “Should we just walk around until we find it, then?  Perhaps you’ll see something else you’re interested in along the way.”</p><p>“Orrr we could ask someone!  Well, <em>I</em> will ask someone since I know it would just crush your soul to have to speak directly to a mortal.”  She teased the other god as she turned away from him and stopped a couple of young men who were passing by.</p><p>Zamasu stood back a bit and watched her talk to them.  Why was she speaking to them so casually?  Why were <em>they</em> speaking to <em>her</em> so casually?  Was it not clear she wasn’t a pathetic mortal like they were?  She needed to be more assertive regarding her position.  They were standing too close, their eyes wandering far too much, and the longer the conversation went on, the faster Zamasu tapped his foot and the faster he drummed his fingers against his folded arms.</p><p>And then one of them put a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>Barely a fraction of a second went by before Zamasu was directly behind the goddess, one hand on her other shoulder, the other hand gripping the mortal’s wrist just tight enough that he didn’t snap the bones, “<em>Who do you think you are</em>?”  His eyes were wide, his pupils shrunken down with fury.  How dare he?  How dare he touch her?</p><p>“A-ah!  S-sorry, man!  I didn’t realize she was your girl!”  The man winced, retracting his hand as Zamasu reluctantly released it. </p><p>“Ahahaha, thank you for the directions!”  Chronoa turned, grabbed Zamasu’s hand, and hurried off in the direction they’d explained to her before Zamasu’s anger grew in intensity.  Luckily the mortals could not feel godly ki – Zamasu’s was extraordinary and he was emanating such an ominous aura.  “You really need to work on your temper.  Maybe I should give you more mentorships when we get home.”</p><p>“If I have to mentor any more of your pet mortals than I already do, I may truly lose my mind.”  He could only hope she wasn’t serious about that threat. </p><p>After getting lost only once, they did eventually find their way to the aquarium.  The mortals still watched them and Zamasu did his best to keep from yelling at them for it.  He could tell Chronoa was irritated by him thus far, but didn’t she understand how he felt about these creatures?  She knew how much he hated them, so why insist upon going places where they are sure to gather?  Was this some sort of test?</p><p>“Ahhh, look how beautiful!”  Chronoa clasped her hands together in front of her as she peered into the smaller tanks at the various creatures she’d never seen before.  “I wonder if all inhabited planets have something like this!”</p><p>“They don’t.  The humans in particular seem to love capturing non-sentient creatures and putting them on display for their own entertainment.”  Zamasu leaned down beside her to look at the fish.  They were curiously designed.  He often wondered what some of the gods of old were thinking while designing creatures such as this.  “They are very strange.”</p><p>“Aren’t they?  I love it!  Some of them are really colorful like we are!”  She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the large tank at the center of attention.</p><p>“. . . did you compare us to fish?”  As soon as the question left his lips, his eyes widened at the sight of the main tank.  Fish of all shapes and sizes.  Some had large tentacles, or big eyes, or several fins.  There was also an array of colorful plant life.   So many colors . . . like flowers, but underwater!  He’d never seen something like that before.  Surely it existed on other planets with water, but he’d never dove deep to see it.</p><p>“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”  Chronoa was in awe herself, but the lack of a response from her lover caused her to glance over at him.  His eyes were wide and unblinking, his mouth hanging open just a bit.  So he was enjoying himself after all?  It was not yet the smile she wanted, but the fact that he was legitimately interested in something was a small success at least.  Chronoa gently wrapped her arms around one of his and leaned against him.  “Nature is really beautiful.  Some of these species have possibly existed even longer than we have.  Isn’t that something?”</p><p>“Nature is perfect . . . all of these creatures live together in harmony.  They only kill what they must, only take what they must . . . they do nothing in excess or out of anger or greed . . . why are the sentient mortals different?”  This caused him to furrow his brows and shake his head as he finally stole his attention away from the tank to glance down at the beauty now latched onto his arm.  “I don’t know what it is you see in the mortals.”</p><p>“They are different because they are driven by emotion and not simply by instinct . . . much like a certain rebellious god who, rather than simply following the path unto which he was born, chose to go wild and steal a body and run rampant in a another timeline.  His anger made him do that.”  Chronoa winked up at him.</p><p>He hated when Chronoa compared his own actions to those of mortals . . . but he hated it even more when she wasn’t wrong in her accusations and her comparisons.</p><p>There was a small bit of commotions nearby that drew the attention of both gods.  A small gathering of people crowded around two people in the center.  A man was down on one knee in front of a woman.  He was holding . . . a box?  And the woman looked so happy.  People were cheering and clapping for them – people who probably didn’t even know the two.</p><p>“What is going on?  I don’t understand.”  Zamasu scrunched up his face, more annoyed by the noise than anything.</p><p>“Aww, he proposed to her.”  Chronoa’s expression softened.  She’d heard about this sort of thing many times.  Her interest in the mortal realm had led her to learn so many things.</p><p>“Proposed?  What did he propose?”  He was even more confused now that Chronoa looked so happy for them.  What sort of ceremony was this?</p><p>“Marriage.  Humans, and many other races, choose a single mate to have forever.  Isn’t that really romantic?”</p><p>“. . . is it?  It sounds like something done entirely for attention.  Why go through all of this when all you have to do is stay together.  I don’t see the reason behind creating such a commotion about it, especially if it is so common.”  He could see his response irritated Chronoa, “The gods do not do such things . . . but . . .”  The words died on his lips.</p><p>“. . . but what?”  Chronoa looked up at him and she wore that familiar expression.  There were many times where Zamasu would stop himself from saying something sweet or romantic because it went against his general personality.  She knew he could be very kind and loving and sweet, though.  He just had to be in the right element and mood for it.  “I hope you’ll finish your sentence someday.”  But what?  What was he going to say after that?</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>They spent a long while at the aquarium, going from exhibit to exhibit and watching and admiring the various creatures they’d never seen.  They even stopped to read the information posted about them.  Zamasu even mentioned he found it all fascinating. </p><p>After the aquarium, they briefly visited what is apparently called a ‘Zoo’.  It was too much for them both, though.  The animals looked so sad and anxious and Chronoa had to stop Zamasu from trying to destroy the entire facility.  He went on yet another of his rants about how awful mortals were and how they had no regard for other forms of life and . . .</p><p>. . . well, Chronoa found it hard to disagree with him in this particular situation. </p><p>She instead turned to shopping to get their minds off it.  Perhaps those sorts of activities were a bad idea for them both.  She’d remember it in the future at least.  She understood the desire to see animals they’d never otherwise see, but . . . it just felt so wrong.</p><p>“Why did you insist upon buying clothing when you can simply create clothes of your own?”  Zamasu eyed the few bags he had in his hand.  “And why am <em>I</em> the one carrying them?”</p><p>“Because I’m not a fashion designer – I can’t come up with designs like these on the fly.  Maybe with these, I can get some more inspiration and create even cuter things to wear!  I bought some lingerie, too!”  She smirked and winked, jabbing her elbow into the god’s side.  “I bought it when you weren’t paying attention.”</p><p>“. . . I have no idea what that is.  Am I supposed to be angry?”  Zamasu gave her the same neutral expression as always.  Why did he always look bored and disinterested?</p><p>“Ugh, are you really even a man?  Lingerie is something really sexy I can wear when we’re about to-“  Her words were cut off by a large green hand.</p><p>“Enough!  You truly have not an ounce of shame within you.”  Zamasu removed his hand, his cheeks bright red, “Sometimes I think you love to embarrass me.”  He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t even the slightest bit curious about this ‘lingerie’, but clearly he would find out about it eventually. </p><p>“I might like to embarrass you just a little bit.”  Chronoa grinned and grabbed Zamasu’s free hand to drag him along once more.  “Shopping is really fun!  You know, I’ve never been able to do something like this before.  Trunks always said I shouldn’t spend a long time in the mortal realm.  Always acted like it was dangerous for me.  I’m the goddess of time – I’m not weak.  I could snap every human on this planet in half with little effort, I bet!”</p><p>Her claim caused several humans to turn and look at her, but Zamasu was oblivious to that at the moment.  He was too busy staring at her himself, his heart briefly skipping a beat from her words.  Something about it lit a small fire within him.  The thought of Chronoa standing over a mound of dead mortals was a treat.  How beautiful she would be with her usual white attire stained with the blood of a million-</p><p>“Zamasu?”  She looked back over her shoulder upon realizing how quiet he was, only to find him wide-eyed and in a very clear daze, “Oh?  Did that comment push all the right buttons for you?”  He smirked, “Maybe I’ll use that against you someday.”</p><p>The god recollected his thoughts and straightened his clothes a bit before wandering onward with her.  Her hand was . . . soft.  Soft with very delicate, thin fingers.  The color of her skin complemented that of his own – like a flower against its leaves.  She was beautiful, yet fierce.  What an incredible, powerful force. </p><p>“Are you spacing out again?  You need learn how to focus- oooh!  Look how sparkly!”  Against her own words, the goddess suddenly released her grasp on his hand to rush over to a shop window and gaze at the various articles displayed within.  Jewelry, hair pins, and things Zamasu had no knowledge of were featured behind the glass, each of them adorned with jewels of all shapes, colors, and sizes to catch the sun and therefore catch young womens’ eyes.</p><p>“Do you not already have accessories at home which are far more beautiful and valuable than these?”  He stood beside her and placed a hand on her back as she browsed.  He did look back and throw a few choice glares at wandering eyes as mortals passed by behind them.  They were all so bold with their gazes.  Did they have no decency whatsoever?  A foolish question which he already knew the answer to.  He’d seen more than enough from the mortals on the Earth he’d cleansed in his own timeline – they were a most foul race.</p><p>“I have many things, sure, but not things from <em>Earth</em>.  I love things from other planets!  Trunks brings me cool technology all the time.  I love to mess around with it and study it.”</p><p>“As opposed to tending to your own duties, correct?”  Zamasu smirked knowingly as the goddess turned an irritated glance up at him, “Ah, I thought so.  If you want to look at these things, wouldn’t it be better to go inside rather than to stand out here?”</p><p>“Well yes, but I just thought that maybe you wouldn’t want to . . .”</p><p>“If you want to, then it’s fine.  This is what you wanted to do, isn’t it?”  He gave her a gentle shove to urge her into the shop.  They were met with the same awkward glances as always due to their appearance, but still no one said anything about it. </p><p>“I want to, but I want you to be happy, too.”  Her uneasiness dissipated quickly as her eyes lit up with wonder at the many cases with beautiful, glittery goods.  “Ahhh, everything is so beautiful!”</p><p>“I’m happy just to see you so happy . . .”  Zamasu muttered the words under his breath, glad that Chronoa was far too distracted with the jewelry to have heard him.  Just allowing such things to accidentally slip from his lips was embarrassing enough – he’d likely lose his immortality from distress if she ever actually heard him.  “Do you see anything in particular you like?”  Zamasu hurried to her side when he saw an eager employee rushing to her.  He didn’t like it.  He hated how many gazed at her with lust in their eyes.  It was disgusting.  Did they really think they were allowed to gawk at a goddess in such a way?  Lowly, filthy creatures.</p><p>“I like everything, really.”  She was looking at rings, though.  Ever since that moment in the aquarium, the thought hadn’t left her mind.</p><p>The gods didn’t have partners for life.  They lived such a long time and they didn’t mate, so what sense would it make for them to have a permanent, singular partner?  It didn’t.  Still . . . wouldn’t it be nice?  Wouldn’t it be nice to get so close to someone and love them so much that you didn’t want anyone else for as long as you lived?  Wouldn’t it be nice to have a small accessory to show that you were with someone in such a way?  Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little ceremony with friends to celebrate that love?</p><p>“Miss?”  The shop clerk tilted his head as Chronoa finally snapped out of her gaze, “Is there anything you would like to try on, miss?  Anything would look wonderful on a beautiful young lady such as yourself.”  He smiled, but quickly straightened up upon noticing the sharp glare from the green god at her side.</p><p>“Oh!  I can try them on?  Umm . . . then let me see . . .”  Her eyes once more fell to the rings.  She wanted to suggest they buy matching rings and just wear them on the other hand, but wouldn’t that be silly?  Zamasu would likely scoff at it.  “This one here looks nice.”  She pointed at a yellow gold ring with large, pink gemstones arranged like cherry blossom flowers.  “It reminds me of some trees I’ve seen before.”</p><p>“Ah, yes, cherry blossoms!  They bloom in the Spring all over the area!  Absolutely beautiful.”  The man pulled the ring from the case and reached out to take Chronoa’s hand, but stopped when his wrist was grabbed by Zamasu.</p><p>“Touch any part of her and I will sever both of your hands from your arms.”</p><p>“Zamasu!  I’m sorry, he really doesn’t mean that!  Zamasu, let go of him and let him do his job.”  She really couldn’t take him anywhere around mortals, could she?  No, no, this was likely all his way of ensuring he’d never have to go on one of these outings again.  He wouldn’t get out of it that easily!  If anything, this meant she needed to take him out with mortals more often to get him used to them!</p><p>Zamasu released his grasp on the mortal’s wrist, but silently mouthed the words ‘I mean it’ to contradict what Chronoa had told him.</p><p>“Ahahaha, he’s just very protective of you.  Understandable!  I uh . . . I will just let you put it on yourself and we can check to see if we have your size . . .”  The man set the ring down on top of the counter and even took a nervous step back, his eyes shifting up to Zamasu’s face periodically to make sure he wasn’t angering him further.  It would be unwise to piss off someone with that kind of appearance.  He’d seen monsters in this city countless times and he wasn’t interested in becoming a victim.</p><p>Chronoa slipped it onto the ring finger of her right hand and held it up to watch it sparkle in the light, “This one actually fits perfectly!”</p><p>“Shouldn’t it be on the other hand?”  Zamasu furrowed his brows.  He really didn’t understand the specifics, but she wanted a ring because of what she’d seen at the aquarium, right?  Surely that was it as she never really wore any jewelry aside from her earrings and her headpiece.  Though, he wore his time ring on his right hand and on a different finger.  Perhaps it was all a matter of preference?</p><p>“Ah, the left hand would be for an engagement ring or wedding bands.  If it is a fashion ring, then it would go on the right.”  The clerk nervously explained, visibly inching back even further when Zamasu’s eyes met his own.  “B-but of course, you could wear it however you’d like!”</p><p>“I’ll take it!”  At the very least, it could serve as a memento for their day together.  “I’ll just pay for this and then we can- Zamasu?”  Chronoa turned her head, confused to find the other god was suddenly no longer beside her, but rather at another case a bit further down.  Was he . . . actually browsing?  Here?  He’d perused the racks and shelves at the other shops, but she didn’t expect him to have any interest in accessories like these.  “Do you see something you like?”</p><p>“Hm?  Ah . . . no, it’s fine.”  Zamasu tore his eyes from the case, “What is with that expression?  You look strange.”</p><p>Chronoa went to his side, still wearing the ring on her finger. “I noticed it in the aquarium and a few times in other shops, too.  You’re actually enjoying yourself a little bit, aren’t you?”  Her smirk stretched the width of her face as she stood on the tips over her toes in an attempt to get up in Zamasu’s face, “Mr. ‘I hate mortals’ is actually enjoying himself in the mortal realm?”</p><p>“Hush . . . you’re being a pest.”  Zamasu turned back to the case, “Mortal servant, come here.”</p><p>“Zamasu!  That’s not- ugh . . .”</p><p>“This here . . . is it in a set with hers?”  He pointed at a large gold band with a minimalist cherry blossom design on it in small stones. </p><p>“A-ah, y-yes sir.  That is the counterpart to the one she is wearing . . .”  The clerk nervously took out the ring and set it on the counter, not daring to even attempt touching this more ornery creature.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>After purchasing a rings and then doing a bit more shopping, they finally stopped for dinner.  They’d skipped lunch entirely as they’d stopped at food stalls here and there to try the ‘street food’ Chronoa had heard so much about.  For dinner, they found a restaurant by the water.  Zamasu picked this one, which surprised the goddess a bit, but she went along with it.  It wasn’t any fun if she decided on everything.  She’d honestly been surprised ever since he’d picked out a ring to match hers and she constantly found herself looking at his hand and then at her own.  Matching rings . . . why did that make her feel so happy?</p><p>“You’ve been beaming ever since we bought the rings.”  The corner of Zamasu’s lips tugged upward into a soft smile as he leaned his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his palm.  The night was a comfortable temperature and there was a gentle breeze blowing in from the ocean.  He made sure to request a table right by the water so they could enjoy the sound of the waves.</p><p>“Yeah, well . . . I . . . oh, you’ll just make fun of me.”  Chronoa puffed up her cheeks, her hands gripping the menu.</p><p>“I won’t.  Tell me – are you happy?  Was today what you were hoping for?”  She had been so excited in the morning, so hopefully she’d enjoyed herself.  She couldn’t take too many days off from her work, so it would be a shame if it was wasted on a lack-luster outing. </p><p>“Yes, it was . . . more than what I was hoping for, actually.”  She released her hold on the menu so she could move her right hand and watch the ring sparkle in the lighting from the restaurant awning.  “I didn’t expect you to get one as well.  You weren’t having a good time at all and-“</p><p>“Hm?  What do you mean?  Despite how many mortals I wished to kill today, I actually did find our trip rather enjoyable.”  He hated mortals, but . . . he loved Chronoa.  Seeing her smile did something to his heart that he did not have the words to describe.  If she smiled and blushed and carried on excitedly, he felt at peace.  “It was nice to see you so happy rather than so stressed.”  Ah, that was saying a bit too much, wasn’t it?</p><p>There was a silence as Chronoa’s entire face turned bright red, her hand no longer moving as she locked eyes with her lover.  Had he actually said something so . . . so . . . sweet?  Zamasu?  The prince of brooding?  Saying something sweet completely out of the blue?  He’d said sweet things during intimate moments, but this was so out of the ordinary.  “Is this all a dream or something?  I didn’t seriously hear you say something <em>romantic</em> did I?”  Her heart felt like it would leap from her chest with how happy she was.  It was almost overwhelming.</p><p>“Hmph.  I’ll never say such a thing ever again.”  Zamasu lifted his menu to try and hide his face, but Chronoa reached across the table and shoved it back down again.</p><p>“No no no!  Please say things like that more often.  You say them so rarely that sometimes I . . . can’t help but wonder if I just annoy you.  So I wanted to spend a whole day with you and . . . and show you the mortal realm and . . . and just be with you.”  Her voice grew quiet toward the end, a bit embarrassed saying all of this.  In all of her millions of years of life, she’d have thought things like this wouldn’t affect her anymore, yet it felt like such a fresh and young feeling.  Things felt different with Zamasu around.</p><p>“Annoy me?”  Sighing, Zamasu released his hold on the menu and, against his usual character, reached out and took her hands to hold them in the center of the table.  “Goddess of Time . . .when have you ever known me to fake my happiness on any occasion?”</p><p>“N-never . . .”</p><p>“And when have you ever known me to put up with anything I find annoying?”</p><p>“. . . never . . .”</p><p>“Precisely.  So then why would I start now, hm?”  Smiling just a tiny bit, Zamasu pulled Chronoa’s ring from her finger and, before she had a chance to protest, slipped it onto the ring finger of her left hand instead.  He then did the same to his own ring and took hold of her hands once more.</p><p>“H-hey!  That’s only for married mortals, Zamasu.”  She nearly felt dizzy from the implications.  Gods didn’t marry.  Did Zamasu even like her enough for such a thing?  What did it mean?  What was he trying to say?</p><p>“Of course it is.  So now perhaps those mortals will keep their hands off of you.”</p><p>“Seriously?  That’s why!?”  Chronoa’s brows furrowed as she glared at him, but that anger immediately faded when Zamasu closed his eyes, cracked a wide smile, and even <em>laughed</em> a small bit.  That smile.  That smile with his brilliant white teeth showing and his lips stretched wide enough that his cheeks dimpled a bit . . . it was beautiful.  Zamasu’s true happiness was so beautiful.</p><p>“No, that isn’t the true reason.  Even if gods do not marry . . .”  He sighed heavily as though this conversation was incredibly difficult, “I do not intend to leave your side, so . . . is it not fundamentally the same?”  His eyes finally opened to meet her gaze, a light blush dusting his cheeks from embarrassment.  He hated sounding so pathetic and sappy, but that was how he felt.  Deep down, he cared very much for her and he really did not have any intention of straying from her.  There was no one else in existence who did not irritate him.  He rather enjoyed her company, her scent, her voice . . . he enjoyed <em>her</em>.</p><p>“Zamasu . . .”</p><p>“Ahhh, do not cry.  Not here.  Why don’t we continue this conversation once we’re back in the Time Nest.  Do not show your soft side to the mortals.”  He gave her hands a squeeze before releasing them and picking up his menu once more.</p><p>Chronoa nodded in understanding and picked hers up as well. </p><p>The ring on her left hand sparkled brilliantly.  Rather than simply being a memento of their trip, it had become something far more important than that.  A symbol of love and eternity . . .</p><p>. . . she was still going to force Zamasu on more mortal realm trips, though.</p><p> </p>
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